Biman Bangladesh to sign deal to buy 10 Airbus aircraft today

Following an agreement to purchase 11 aircraft from US-based Boeing, Biman Bangladesh Airlines is set to sign an agreement with European aircraft manufacturer Airbus today, Wednesday, to acquire 10 aircraft as part of its fleet expansion and long-term aviation plans.
A signing ceremony will be held at the Radisson Blu Dhaka Water Garden in the capital tomorrow evening.
Under the agreement, Biman Bangladesh Airlines and Airbus will sign a deal for the acquisition of 10 Airbus aircraft.
Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M. Rashiduzzaman Millat recently said, “We are buying 10 Airbus aircraft, InshaAllah. The agreement will be signed in October.” Discussions have been underway over the purchase, and the agreement is now set to be signed tomorrow.
Biman Bangladesh sent an invitation to the media on Tuesday (October 6), confirming the signing ceremony.
According to the invitation, the ceremony will begin at 6:30pm at the Utsab Hall on the ground level of the Radisson Blu Dhaka Water Garden. Government officials and representatives of Biman Bangladesh Airlines and Airbus will attend.
Those attending will include Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M. Rashiduzzaman Millat, Foreign Affairs State Minister Humayun Kabir, Invest Bangladesh Executive Chairman Ashik Chowdhury, and Airbus India and South Asia President and Managing Director Jürgen Westermeier.
The agreement with Airbus is considered an important part of Biman’s long-term plan to modernise and expand its fleet. The acquisition is expected to increase Biman’s capacity on domestic and international routes and create opportunities to launch new routes in the future.
Minister M. Rashiduzzaman Millat said foreign airlines currently operate more flights on various international routes. Increasing the capacity of Bangladeshi airlines would allow more flights to destinations in the Middle East and elsewhere.
He said efforts were underway to resume flights to New York, while plans were also being considered to launch flights to Sydney. Biman currently operates one flight to Japan and is taking steps to introduce a second flight on the route.
Asked whether there had been any pressure or conditions regarding the purchase of Airbus aircraft, the minister said, “We are not doing this under any pressure. We are doing it based on our needs. We are doing it to increase the number of our flights.”
He said the decision on how many aircraft Bangladesh would purchase and from which country was entirely its own. The decision was being made based on the country’s needs and the interests of the aviation sector.
“We are considering which aircraft would be suitable for us. We should consider how Bangladesh will benefit, where we can purchase aircraft profitably, and how many aircraft we should buy from each manufacturer,” he said.
The minister said a long-term plan had been adopted to strengthen the aviation sector. Increasing the fleet would enhance passenger-carrying capacity, allow flights to new destinations and improve passenger services. It could also create opportunities to reduce airfares in the future.
“We believe our aviation sector needs to be strengthened. If we can carry more passengers through our own airlines, it will increase revenue from the sector and ensure that more of the country’s money remains within the country,” M. Rashiduzzaman Millat said.
Earlier, Biman had taken initiatives to acquire new aircraft as part of its fleet expansion plans. Under the initiative, agreements were signed in two phases to purchase 25 aircraft from US-based Boeing.
The planned acquisition of 10 aircraft from Airbus will add a new dimension to Biman’s fleet expansion strategy.